The book of Judges contains some powerful stories. Some years ago I wrote a trio of poems exploring three of those stories and the women who feature in them: the judge and prophet Devorah, Yael who slew the general Sisera, and the nameless daughter of Yiftach (in English, his name is usually rendered Jephthah.)

Tekufat tevet, the winter solstice, is regarded as the date when Yiftach's daughter was killed. These are dark stories, but powerful ones. Today's the solstice, so I thought I'd share my trio of poems arising out of the book of Judges. If this interests you, don't miss Alicia Ostriker's long poem / ritual script Jephthah's Daughter: A Lament, available at Tel Shemesh.

JUDGES TRYPTICH

1. Devorah

Beneath her palm tree, Devorah (the honey bee, her sting intact) judged the acts of the Israelites

the people came with gifts of oil and flour and yearling lambs and she answered them with justice

she sent for Barak in his leathers words fell from her mouth like honey and he yearned to taste her sweetness

come with me, he pleaded I will relinquish my own glory if I can have you by my side

nine hundred iron chariots thundered the Infinite cast panic like a spell and all Sisera's army was slain

and Devorah slept, and dreamed Sisera stumbles into a woman's tent Jael's doors open wide to let him in

he drinks milk fermented in goatskin he slides into sleep: her tent pin rests at his sweaty temple: she drives it home

2. Jael

My husband is a KeniteKenites don't take sidesso when God told me what to doI kept it to myself

someday the sageswill credit me with pluckand righteousness, even ifmy methods were obscure

but Sisera's motherwrapped in happy fantasiesof her precious son's returnwill never be the same

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Three poems from the book of Judges

The book of Judges contains some powerful stories. Some years ago I wrote a trio of poems exploring three of those stories and the women who feature in them: the judge and prophet Devorah, Yael who slew the general Sisera, and the nameless daughter of Yiftach (in English, his name is usually rendered Jephthah.)

Tekufat tevet, the winter solstice, is regarded as the date when Yiftach's daughter was killed. These are dark stories, but powerful ones. Today's the solstice, so I thought I'd share my trio of poems arising out of the book of Judges. If this interests you, don't miss Alicia Ostriker's long poem / ritual script Jephthah's Daughter: A Lament, available at Tel Shemesh.

JUDGES TRYPTICH

1. Devorah

Beneath her palm tree, Devorah (the honey bee, her sting intact) judged the acts of the Israelites

the people came with gifts of oil and flour and yearling lambs and she answered them with justice

she sent for Barak in his leathers words fell from her mouth like honey and he yearned to taste her sweetness

come with me, he pleaded I will relinquish my own glory if I can have you by my side

nine hundred iron chariots thundered the Infinite cast panic like a spell and all Sisera's army was slain

and Devorah slept, and dreamed Sisera stumbles into a woman's tent Jael's doors open wide to let him in

he drinks milk fermented in goatskin he slides into sleep: her tent pin rests at his sweaty temple: she drives it home